rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife Speculation was rife; one unproven theory was that someone had heated the sensor with a hairdryer. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The returnees have strained local communities, many of which already have scant resources in a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition stalks the most vulnerable. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Trump has repeatedly called for this prohibition, falsely claiming that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Isakov spoke of the pain his parents had endured, his nine siblings having died young in the 1930s and 1940s, when poverty and disease were rife across the region. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    — Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • Raves in hand and a career-achievement narrative already set, Malkovich joins what is becoming a crowded Best Actor field.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Idaho drivers could face crowded roads over Labor Day weekend, according to AAA.
    — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • Her fraught bunny legacy ultimately empowered other women, inspiring a new generation to claim their own stories.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Given today’s political climate, one that’s only grows more fraught, its message will likely be just as necessary five years from now.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • Dry grass and brush remain abundant fuels, leaving parts of Texas vulnerable to new fires even as crews work to contain existing blazes.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Models won’t create value just because data is clean or abundant.
    — Kevin Campbell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • Even way back then, in 2021, social platforms were awash in fake views, fake likes, fake traffic, and fake engagement.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Social media ahead of the Lincoln’s visit has been awash with jibes about lusty sailors, but recent visitors say the development of more family-friendly attractions means the new, more wholesome Pattaya overshadows its former seedy self.
    — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • Late-summer weekends will stay packed, but selection and pricing dynamics shift as harvests wind down and vendors face more end-of-day surplus.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For the first time, Rodrigo hosted her own festival, featuring a packed lineup of women including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Garbage and Mitski.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • The boat was packed with narrow benches, which in turn were jammed with children.
    — Ali Asif Shawon, NPR, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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